Miss Marple's Final Cases in Reading the Detectives

Nov 25, 2017 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have now come to the end of my Miss Marple reading marathon this year, with this final volume, “Miss Marple’s Final Cases.” Although I often struggle with short stories, this is a fun collection, with a mix of both stories which feature Miss Marple and a couple of stand-alone stories thrown in. The stories included are: Sanctuary (featuring the wonderful Bunch Harmon, well known from other Miss Marple books). Strange Jest (in which Miss Marple helps a young couple find an inheritance), The Tap ...more

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Nov 29, 2017 Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, miss-marple, mystery, agatha-christie, murder, short-stories

Book 14 of the Miss Marple Challenge. This one is a set of short stories, six of the “original” final cases, an additional Miss Marple story “Greenshaw’s Folly” and two non-Marple stories, “In A Glass Darkly” and “the Dressmaker’s Doll”. The edition I have has only the original six but I dug out two others from other Christie short story collections that I have so it’s sort of a “cheat” marking this one as “read” since I have missed “Dressmaker’s Doll”.

The last six of Miss Marple’s cases were no Book 14 of the Miss Marple Challenge. This one is a set of short stories, six of the “original” final cases, an additional Miss Marple story “Greenshaw’s Folly” and two non-Marple stories, “In A Glass Darkly” and “the Dressmaker’s Doll”. The edition I have has only the original six but I dug out two others from other Christie short story collections that I have so it’s sort of a “cheat” marking this one as “read” since I have missed “Dressmaker’s Doll”.

The last six of Miss Marple’s cases were not restricted to murder alone. Though the majority of the stories (four of the six) do involve murders, there is also a hidden treasure (in fact more than one) and robbery in the other two which were as much fun as the murder stories and Miss Marple shows us that not all hidden treasures are “hidden” and not all the obvious suspects the actual murderers. In these we find ourselves back in St Mary Mead as well as Chipping Cleghorn (where a murder was announced) with old friends, the Harmons (Bunch, particularly), Jane Helier (from the Thirteen Problems), Doctor Haydock, Mrs Price-Ridley, Raymond and Joan, and of course Tiglath Pileser (though he makes only a brief appearance). The story I most enjoyed in the collection was not a murder one to my own surprise but the “Perfect Maid”, which was such fun―I remembered the solution from a previous read but wouldn’t have guessed otherwise. And one can’t help but love Doctor Haydock for knowing just the right medicine for Miss Marple, a case to solve when she needs it!

Of the other two stories, “Greenshaw’s Folly” was enjoyable, pretty complicated really but seemed to me just a little bit far-fetched (with a plot detail was quite similar to another story). “In a Glass Darkly” was certainly the creepiest of the lot, not exactly a supernatural story but with a touch of the uncanny that made it very enjoyable indeed.

This was a great collection to end the Miss Marple challenge. I’ve really enjoyed reading the books chronologically. Many of the mysteries were excellent―the puzzles keeping me guessing (A Murder is Announced, The Body in the Library, 4:50 from Paddington, Sleeping Murder, among them) but there was so much more to them as well. I also enjoyed the social changes taking place with each of the books, Miss Marple’s reactions to them, the characters (that AC herself was a great observer of human nature stands out in so many), and even the changes in Miss Marple herself who (when I read the first book this time) was so very different to the impression I had of her and changed as the books progressed. The books also make (to an extent) quite a strong statement against stereotyping on account of age―Miss Marple mayn’t be physically strong (a bit of a stereotype in itself) but her mind is as sharp as ever and where everyone else fails, Miss M always has the right answer. This has been a great challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed. ...more

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Jan 06, 2023 Teri-K rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Argh! How frustrating! I really loved the first six stories in this collection. They all revolve around Miss Marple and display her gentle humor and wit. Then you get two entries that have nothing to do with Marple, and one that does. I've read the two that don't relate to her before, and I don't care for them, they're gimmicky, I think. the last one is better. So, not five stars for the collection, but still quite worth reading. ...more

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